Copyright (C) 1985 by Colonel Eugene C. Jacobs.
(Note: Project Gutenberg's .zip includes the images from the book.)
BLOOD BROTHERS
A Medic's Sketch Book
By
Colonel Eugene C. Jacobs
Edited by Sam Rohlfing,
Vero Beach, Florida
A Hearthstone Book
Carlton Press, Inc. New York, N.Y.
DEDICATION
To my wife, Judy, a beautiful person.
Limited Edition
© 1985 by Colonel Eugene C. Jacobs
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Manufactured in the United States of America
ISBN 0-8062-2300-6
PREFACE*
The purpose of Blood Brothers is to acquaint the reader with a series
of harrowing incidents experienced by the isolated U.S. Armed Forces
in the Far East during World War II.
We might well be voicing the words of Saint Paul which were
recorded in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter I) verse 8:
"For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which
came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above
strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life!"
Of his First Guerrilla Regiment, General Douglas MacArthur stated that
"He had acquired a force behind the Japanese lines that would have a
far reaching effect on the war in the days to come"; that it had kept
"Freedom's Flames burning brightly throughout the Philippines"; that
it had produced a "human drama with few parallels in military
history"; and later, during the landing in Lingayen Gulf, had
"accomplished the purposes of practically a front line division."
MacArthur further stated that "the courageous and splendid resistance
maintained by you and your command filled me with pride and
satisfaction."
Of the Hell Ship Oryoku Maru, Gen. James O. Gillespie stated "it was
probably the most horrible story of suffering endured by prisoners of
war during World War II."
Gen. John Beall further stated, "You say a lot of things that need to
be said, lest the United States forgets the horrors of the way the
Japanese treated our prisoners."
In writing Blood Brothers, I found it necessary to resort to frequent
flashbacks; and to keep the reader aware of the history taking place
around the world, I tried to make reference to these events as they
happened, even when they were merely rumors.
This story has not been pleasant to write; I'm glad it is finally
finished.
In Blood Brothers, there are no heroes. The survivors of the
Philippines arrived home in 1945, quietly and without recognition, to
be admitted to hospitals near their homes.
With winners and heroes everywhere, there was no time for "Losers."
Eugene C. Jacobs
"Our senses can grasp nothing that is extreme! Too much noise deafens
us! Too much light blinds us! Too far or too near prevents our seeing!
Too long or too short is beyond understanding! Too much truth stuns
us!"
Blaise Pascal
*General Harold K. Johnson, a former Chief of Staff of the United
States Army, had been a former Japanese prisoner-of-war, had
experienced each and every event as it happened to other P.O.W.s, and
had been an excellent friend through more than thirty years of Army
service; he had agreed to write this PREFACE; unfortunately, this was
followed by a long hospitalization ending in terminal cancer.
CONTENTS
I Bombs Fall on Camp John Hay, Rest
and Recreation Center, in the Philippines
II The Orange Plan (WPOIII)
III MacArthur's First Guerrilla Regiment
Col. Warner Surrenders the 14th Infantry
Japanese Prisoner of War Camp No.1, Cabanatuan
IV Japanese Atrocities
V Americans
VI "Old" Bilibid Prison
VII Japan Detail - Oriental Tour - Strictly Third Class
X Japan
XI Camp Hoten, Mukden, Manchuria
XII Japan Surrenders
XIII Start Home
XIV The Good Old U.S.A
XV Borrowed Time
Appendix
Acknowledgments
*MY SKETCHES
During the first few weeks of our incarceration in Japanese
Prisoner-of-War Camp No.1 in the Philippines, 1,500 (25% of our 6,000
captives) died of starvation, malnutrition, various vitamin
deficiencies, malaria, diphtheria and various wounds that would not
heal. I knew that within another 6 to 8 months, we would all be dead,
and there would be no record of it. There was no paper to keep any
record of events.
Within a few weeks, I was able to obtain a" nickel school notebook. In
it, I drew many sketches, depicting the lifestyle in prison camp.
Of course, I had to be secretive. There was a penalty for keeping
records in camp; if I'd been caught, I would have been beheaded.
By the time we were being processed for transfer to Old Bilibid Prison
in late October 1944, I had made some 110 sketches. I rolled them up
and placed them in a Mason jar. I buried the jar at the east end of
building No. 12, planning to come back after the war and dig it up.
...
When the war was over, I was flown from Mukden, Manchuria to Kunming,
China and on to Manila, P.I., where I was housed in a tent at Reple
Depot # 29 south of the city. The next day I was flown in a Piper Cub
back to Cabanatuan to look for my drawings, landing at an airfield we
had built as prisoner-labor. A battalion of Engineers furnished a
bulldozer.
The camp buildings were all gone. I figured out where building # 12
had been. We dug for hours and found nothing.
As fate would have it, one year after I returned to Active Duty at
Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, D.C., I located my 110
sketches at the Pentagon. MacArthur's Sixth Army Rangers had retrieved
the buried drawings when they liberated Camp #1 in late January 1945.
All of my sketches had been carefully numbered, and marked on the back
"Unidentified Artist." I had been officially declared an artist.
INTRODUCTION
In Japanese prisoner of war camps, all prisoners were divided into
groups of ten, called "blood brothers."
If anyone of the ten "blood brothers" made any attempt to escape,
the other nine would be punished "Sevelery!"
Typical punishments:
Tie the blood brothers to fence posts and require each passing
Japanese soldier to slap and kick them.
More severe punishment required recruits to use the bound brothers
for bayonet practice.
The most severe punishment required an officer to unsheathe his
samurai sword and behead the "brothers."
My ten blood brothers, all Medical Officers of the Regular Army,
were:
Lt. Col. William Draper North
Major James Bahrenberg
Wilbur Berry
Wesley Bertz*
Eugene Jacobs
Emmert Lentz
Steven Sitter
Clarence Strand *
Clarence White*
Captain Robert Lewis
The blood brothers with the asterisk (*) were killed or died on "Hell
Ships" enroute to Japan.
The other brothers survived the rigors of Bataan, the "Death March"
Japanese prison camps, labor details, the "farm," and "Hell Ships" to
return to the United States. Since the war, all have died, except the
author, who is anxious to tell his story before the first reunion of
the "brothers."
STAFF Camp John Hay Baguio, Mountain Province, P.I.
Lt. Col. John P Horan, Commanding Officer
Capt. Hubert (Sandy) Ketchum (Cav. Adjutant)
Major Henderson Allen, (Q.M.C.) Supply
Major James Blanning (Cav.)
Major Ronald McDonald, Company A
Captain Ralph Rumbold, Company B
Captain Francis Fellows, Post Exchange Officer
Captain Everett Warner, Provost Officer
Captain Parker Calvert,
Captain Eugene C. Jacobs, Post Surgeon and Hospital Commander
Captain Ruby Bradley, A.N.C., Chief Nurse
Lieut. Beatrice Chambers, A.N.C.
Lieut. Clifford Simenson, Enlisted Men's Dormitories
Lieut. Harold Everman, Signal Officer
Lieut. Cowan,
Lieut. Evans,
Sgt. R.M. Trent
Sgt. Bennet
Sgt. King
Sgt. Hayes
Sgt. Beck
Sgt. Farmer
Sgt. Sibert
Sgt. Adkins
Regret that I can not remember the names of some 200 others on duty at
Camp John Hay; they were all very dedicated personnel.
Chapter I
BOMBS FALL ON CAMP JOHN HAY, REST AND RECREATION CENTER IN THE
PHILIPPINES
The phone next to my bed was ringing with a great deal of
determination. Half-asleep, I raised the receiver:
"WE ARE AT WAR WITH JAPAN! PEARL HARBOR IS BEING BOMBED! REPORT TO
HEADQUARTERS AT ONCE!" It was 0500 hours, December 8th, 1941.
Hawaiian time, it was 1030 hours, December 7th. The bombing was still
going on, lasting from 0755 to 1050 hours.
Greatly surprised and quite groggy, I tried to collect my thoughts
while getting into my freshly starched uniform, Medical Corps, U.S.
Army: "Knocking out the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor could clear the
way for Japan to conquer the Philippine Islands, without any outside
interference. Of all the Pacific territories of the United States, the
Japanese most wanted the Philippines. General MacArthur, as well as
the Japanese, believed that the Philippine Islands were the 'Key to
the Orient'; Japan would have to take the Philippines before
attempting to conquer any other countries in Southeast Asia. Some Navy
admirals had recently remarked that the 'Pacific Fleet belongs in San
Diego!' If the Japanese should sink one ship in Pearl Harbor (the
so-called Mouse Trap), they could bottle up the entire fleet. Now,
with the Pacific Fleet crippled, there could be no rescue attempt. For
several years we had been aware that in the event of an invasion, all
our defending military forces would hole-up on the Bataan Peninsula,
where supplies and equipment had previously been stored, until the
U.S. Navy, the most powerful in the world, could come to our rescue
(Orange Plan-WPO III). "
By 0530 hours, I was standing in the office of Lt. Col. John Horan,
Post Commander of Camp John Hay, waiting for instructions. I was a
captain and a doctor, the C.O. of the thirty five bed station
hospital.
Saluting the colonel, I was told to sit down and wait for further
instructions. It was dark and cold. Maps and orders were on the
colonel's dimly lighted desk. Other officers were beginning to arrive.
Don Bell's voice blared forth from Radio KZRH in Manila: "Those dirty
little bastards have struck Pearl Harbor! Reports remain sketchy, but
there is no doubt! "Oh God!" Bell was actually crying, near hysteria,
as he continued: "The yellow-bellied Japs have hit our ships at
anchor!"
Everyone was extremely excited; the air was becoming blue with
cigarette smoke. No one was talking; we were all intently
listening-for any late news. Several junior officers were openly
nipping on pocket flasks. I thought to myself, "This is one time when
I'm going to need all my marbles." We had recently returned two junior
officers for alcoholism; they couldn't cope with the tropics even in
peacetime. Or did they outsmart me and get back to the States to sit
out the war?
No news was coming in; we were all anxious to get back to our units to
make necessary preparations for war, but had to await instructions.
For months we had anticipated war with Japan. We were the nearest U.S.
base to Japan, so were very sensitive to any war-like talk or
gestures. Actually, the thoughts of war hadn't bothered me too much; a
farmer had once told me, "If you are going to get kicked by a mule, it
is best to be close to the mule!" Over the last forty years, we knew
the Japanese had been preparing for war, taking scrap iron and raw
materials from the Philippines to Japan. Now, we had a strange feeling
that we might be getting some of these materials back in a more
sophisticated form.
We had no idea how, when or where this war would begin in the
Philippines. The last place we expected it would happen was Camp John
Hay, a Rest and Recreation Center (R.&R.), offering a delightful
climate for military and naval personnel and their dependents on duty
in the Far East, desiring temporary relief from the intense heat and
humidity of the lowlands.
Camp John Hay was pleasantly located one mile above sea level amongst
the pine trees of Mountain Province in Baguio, the summer capital of
the Philippines. It was only twenty miles from the beautiful white
sand beaches, the stately palms and the sweltering sun of Lingayen
Gulf. Camp Hay actually had no real military value. It had been set
aside in 1903 as a recreation area by President Theodore Roosevelt,
and named after his Secretary of State, John Milton Hay. The same year
Roosevelt designated Baguio as the summer capital of the Philippines.
In December, 1941, there were only two companies of the 43rd Infantry
of Philippine Scouts (P.S.), a housekeeping detachment, stationed
there. The camp had no fortifications and no large weapons, only a few
wooden barracks and some one hundred or so obsolete rifles of W. W. I.
vintage. There was one small salute cannon for raising and lowering
"Old Glory."
Looking back several months to July, 1941, when General MacArthur was
appointed Commanding General of the U.S. Armed Forces in the Far East
(USAFFE), he recruited 110,000 young Filipinos for the Philippine Army
(P.A.). It would be many months before they could be trained as they
spoke some sixty dialects. They looked more like boy scouts than
soldiers with their fiber helmets, sport shirts and tennis shoes.
About the same time, War Plan Rainbow 5 was adopted by Roosevelt's
Joint Army-Navy Board: first the Allies would conquer Germany and
Italy. As for Japan, the Allied strategy in the Far East was purely
defensive. MacArthur opposed the idea of the Philippines being
abandoned, but agreed with the plan "to defend all Philippine soil."
He told his officers: "The beaches must be defended at all costs;
prevent the enemy from making any landing!"
We at Camp John Hay believed ourselves reasonably safe in this
mountain resort, even when war seemed imminent. President Manuel
Quezon also must have considered himself secure in Camp Hay as he was
in residence at the beautiful presidential mansion.
Finally, Colonel Horan, standing tall behind his desk, announced: "I
have been unable to obtain any new information from USAFFE in Manila.
I understand the damage done to the Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor has
been extensive. Captain Warner (CO. of Military Police (M.P.): take
your M.P.s and any scouts that you need, round up all Japanese
civilians in the Baguio area, and bring them into camp!
"Lieutenant Velasco: build an eight-foot fence around Barracks
8 and 9; confine all Japanese internees there!
"Other officers: acquaint your troops with the present war
situation, and War Plan Rainbow 5. Stay near your telephones!"
At 0730 hours, with a lump in my throat and a complete loss
of appetite, I tried to swallow a few bites of breakfast at the
Officers' Mess, overlooking the gorgeous valleys below. Everyone was
excited, wondering what the next news would be. Normally I would have
walked the few blocks from the hospital to the mess hall and back,
just for the exercise; this morning I drove my1936 Model A coupe. Time
might become very important at any moment.
At 0800 hours I was in my office in the hospital, on a hill
overlooking Camp Hay, carefully studying my orders and maps.
At 0805 hours our two Army nurses, Captain Ruby Bradley and Lieutenant
Beatrice Chambers, entered my office. I inquired, "Do you know that we
are at war with Japan?"
Before either could answer, bombs were falling on all sides of the
hospital. "There they are!" I exclaimed. Not yet realizing how
dangerous the bombs could be, we casually walked to the windows and
watched the tremendous explosions moving across the camp-toward
headquarters-raising clouds of dust to the rooftops. The war arrived
at Camp John Hay at 0809 hours, Dec. 8, 1941. Between twenty and
twenty-five twin-engine bombers were overhead in a diamond formation.
Soon some 150 bombs of various sizes were bringing disability and
death to many of our soldiers-drilling on the parade ground-and to
their families in their small homes. It seemed unreal that Camp Hay
could be the first target of the Japanese bombers, actually starting
World War II in the Philippines.
Where were our American planes? We probably did just what the Japanese
planned that we would. We called Clark Air Field-about one-hundred
miles to the southwest, and told them, "Camp John Hay is being bombed!
Get some fighters up here, and keep those bombers away!"
We had no air-raid sirens, no machine guns, no anti-aircraft guns,
nothing to deter them. We were surprised by the air attack, and even
more by their accuracy. We heard the bombers were led by German
pilots-possibly the very ones we were playing golf with the previous
week.
If the Japanese thought that they would catch our military and naval
officers on weekend leave at Camp Hay, they were fooled, as all
personnel had previously been restricted to their stations and ships
by a General Alert. Within thirty minutes, the U.S. fighters were
circling overhead looking for Jap planes. Finding none, they returned
to Clark Field just before noon to
gas up and get lunch. Along with thirty-five U.S. bombers, the
fighters lined up on the runways, soon to be blasted by two waves of
50 heavy Japanese bombers. About the same time, Nichol's Field, Fort
McKinley and Cavite Naval Station were being heavily bombed. Nearly
half of the U.S. Army Air Corps planes were destroyed during the first
day of war, the day before Congress declared war.
Wounded were now arriving at the hospital by every available vehicle.
It was a horrible scene, an unforgettable sight, as corridors quickly
filled with seriously wounded and dying soldiers, lying in puddles of
blood, moaning, groaning, screaming, and begging for mercy.
Being the only Army doctor on Northern Luzon, I was to be tested as
never before in my life. I was a Regular Army professional soldier,
alone, and on my own. If we didn't act quickly, we would very soon
have many dead patients. I had seen many bad auto accidents, but never
anything like this. Shaking and woozy, I told myself, "This is no time
to 'chicken out.' God, give me strength!"
Mustering my strongest voice, I screamed: "Everybody! Listen to me!
These patients are all bleeding. We've got to stop the bleeding
quickly - right now! Elevate extremities! Use anything you can get to
stop the bleeding! Tourniquets! Compression bandages! Hemostats! Even
your fingers, if they are clean! Bring all bad cases to the operating
room!"
During the next thirty-two hours, our medical staff worked around the
clock, applying tourniquets and compression bandages, amputating arms
and legs (many dangling by only a few shreds of skin or tendons),
tying off bleeders, giving tetanus shots, laying the dead in the
garage for identification. As soon as we could get each patient
through his emergency, we sent him by ambulance to one of the civilian
hospitals in Baguio for definitive care, and a few miles distant from
any future bombing.
I was very fortunate in obtaining Dr. Beulah Allen (the wife of our
Post Quartermaster, Lt. Col. Henderson Allen), a retired surgeon, to
assist me. She was a tower of strength. While Dr. Allen and I were
operating, Civil War General Sherman's remarks that "War is hell!"
kept haunting me.
I was extremely proud of my medics; we took care of wounds, the likes
of which none of us had ever seen before! Periodically, a Jap plane
would drop a bomb or two-to let us know the war
was still on. They did little damage. After we had our wounded taken
care of to the best of our ability, we dared to look outside to see
the thirty-foot craters and damaged buildings near the hospital.
For the first time, I realized that I was frightened. I could have
been in one of those buildings, or walking across the areas where the
craters were.
Dee. 9, 1941: At night our medical teams returned to their individual
quarters for their first rest since the bombing exhausted and giddy. I
turned on my little radio. Although the signal was badly jammed by the
Japanese as it had been for several months, I was able to make out
that Congress had declared war on Japan at 1610 hours on December 8,
1941, (0500 hours, Dec. 9 Philippine time). Now it was OK for us to
shoot back at the Japs! But with what? I also learned that the Japs
had landed large forces in French Indochina.
I was quite sure that all commercial communications with the States
had been cut off, but I called the radio station to send a message to
my wife, Judy, a teacher at Holton Arms School in Washington, D.C.,
that I was OK.
Judy and I had arrived in Manila on July 20, 1940, after a delightful
trip from New York City through the Panama Canal on the U. S. Army
Transport Republic bound for San Francisco, and on the U.S.A.T. Grant
via Hawaii, Guam and Manila. We got to see two World's Fairs (New York
and San Francisco). It was really our honeymoon, as we had previously
been too poor to afford one.
During the six weeks we were on the high seas, history had been taking
place. Hitler's armies had blitzkrieged through Holland, Belgium and
France; the British Army had a forced evacuation from Dunkirk in an
armada of small boats. Mussolini had declared war on Britain and
France (actually stabbing France in the back while she was on her
knees). Hitler's bombers were causing havoc in England, and his
submarines were sinking many Allied ships in the Atlantic. Tojo was
vigorously continuing his "undeclared wars" in Manchuria and China.
Churchill said, "We shall seek no terms; we shall ask no mercy."
Roosevelt, preoccupied by presidential elections, was finally becoming
aware of Hitler's threat to democracy. He called up volunteers for the
Army; he further prepared for war by agreeing to transfer many planes,
tanks and some sixty reconditioned
destroyers to Britain.
Our ships bound for the Philippines had large U.S. flags painted on
each side lighted at night. We were wary of subs as they had been busy
in the Atlantic. We were beginning to get the feeling that maybe this
would not be the "happy honeymoon" that we had planned. And yet, war
seemed so very "far away."
December 10, 1941: Several bombings with little damage, a few wounded.
We did our best to make them comfortable. We learned that President
Quezon had departed from Camp Hay soon after the first bombing for the
Malacanong Palace in Manila. The Japanese would probably spare the
palace for their own use.
During free moments, of which there were very few, I instructed our
medics in first aid, litter drill over mountain trails, etc. I did all
of the things that I could think of in preparation for war: drew money
out of the bank; got some new field boots and field uniforms from the
clothing store, packed my bedding roll with soap, toothpaste, razor,
towels, etc., and put fresh medicines in my little black doctor's bag
given to me by Dr. Eugene Stafford, who had retired in Baguio after a
distinguished career at the Mayo Clinic. I moved my furniture to his
house for safekeeping until after the war.
I had to go over to the Japanese barracks to inspect some two-hundred
internees (civilian prisoners). They had staked out a big Japanese
flag on the ground for planes to see, for their own protection.
One of the Japanese prisoners was brought to me with a severe sore
throat. Examination showed a peritonsillar abscess. The treatment
would be to lance the abscess and let the pus out. He was the first
real live Jap that I had ever met face-to-face. I attempted to explain
his condition to him. I proceeded to cut his throat with a surgical
knife. He had considerable pain for an instant, then considerable
relief. I gave him an analgesic and a sedative. He seemed grateful,
shook my hand and said, "Arigato vely much!" as he bowed deeply and
departed for his bed.
Some gold-mining engineers, friends of Col. Horan, built an "entrance
to a mine" some thirty feet back into a hillside in the center of camp
for an air-raid shelter. It proved to be very good, but we nearly
broke a leg each time we raced a bomb down the hill to the entrance.
That night our radio told us that the Japs had made landings
at Aparri, on the north coast of Luzon, and had actually landed two
thousand soldiers at Vigan on the northwest coast. It sounded like
they had landed without any resistance. These two cities were only two
or three marching days from Baguio. Was the Rainbow war plan not
working?
News was received that Hong Kong and Wake Island had been captured.
Also, that the British battleships, HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of
Wales, had been easily sunk off the Malayan coast by Japanese planes.
We heard many unusual noises about camp, especially at night, and saw
strange lights that we thought might be signals. We became suspicious
of everything that moved in camp, especially any moving troops, until
we were sure that they were ours.
I couldn't sleep! As I lay in bed, I recalled how I'd been assigned to
Camp Hay from the Medical Regiment at Fort McKinley, near Manila. Col.
Wibb Cooper, the Philippine Dept. Surgeon, picked me out of some one
hundred medical officers because I had just enough time to do on my
tour in the Philippines, not too little, not too much medical training
and experience, just enough responsibility, personality, sociability,
etc. I was to be the only U.S. medical officer north of Fort
Stotsenberg one hundred miles to the southwest. I was to be the
nearest U.S. doctor to Japan.
Camp Hay met all my expectations: delightful wooded areas, friendly
people, a fine, well-equipped station hospital and a well-trained
staff. I was invited to the Rotary Club for dinner with the American
operators of the nearby gold mines and lumber companies in the valleys
below. They all seemed anxious to know the only U.S. doctor. Retired
Major Emil Speth, the mayor of Baguio, took me in tow and saw that I
met everyone who was important.
During three months prior to the war, General MacArthur, the
Commanding General of USAFFE, conducted a "War School' for his general
officers at Camp Hay. During the school period, I got to meet and
visit with most of the generals and their aides-either at the hospital
or the Officers' Mess. I was their "Medic!"
Several weeks prior to the war, some British officers' wives from Hong
Kong arrived in Baguio, a supposedly safe place to sit out the war.
Our student generals seemed to think the "lady limeys" had been sent
over for their dining and dancing pleasure
at the Pines Hotel. Camp Hay was almost a perfect setting almost too
good to be true except for one thing. In May, 1941, President
Roosevelt suddenly ended our honeymoon, sending all of the Army wives
back to the States.
It was two very unhappy people standing on Pier Seven in Manila,
wondering if they would ever see each other again, if the U.S.A.T.
Washington could outmaneuver the subs in the Pacific, and if our U.S.
Army could survive a frontal attack by the Japanese.
Roosevelt must have known the war was coming. In 1937 he branded the
Japanese as "aggressors" in their undeclared war in China and called
for quarantine against her. The Japanese answered him by sinking the
U.S.S. Panay and machine-gunning her crew.
In the late '30s, with the world situation becoming increasingly
dangerous, Germany and Italy both arming in Europe, and Japan
increasing its manpower, Roosevelt wanted to cut the Regular Army by
51 %, the National Guard by 35% and the Reserves by 33% in order to
balance his budget. It seems he was rather naive, 'or possibly just
the politician worrying about reelection.
Gen. MacArthur, who was Chief of Staff of the Army at the time, told
Roosevelt, "Mr. President, when the next war is lost, it will be
Roosevelt's War, not MacArthur's." Fortunately, MacArthur was able to
save the Army from the cuts.
In Sept, 1940, Germany, Italy and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact. In
July, 1941, Roosevelt told Gen. Marshall to draw up war plans. With
his assistants, Gen. Wedemeyer and Gen. Gerow; they concluded that
Hitler was the enemy to be stopped Japan and Italy could come later.
It was Roosevelt who said, "In politics, nothing happens by accident!
You can bet it was planned!"
In July, 1941, Roosevelt again placed sanctions against Japan to keep
U. S. oil, scrap iron and raw materials from reaching her shores. He
issued several executive directives which made war between the U.S.
and Japan inevitable. He froze all assets in the U.S. He closed the
Panama Canal to Japanese shipping.
In August, 1941, Roosevelt placed an embargo on all goods except food.
During the same month the United States cracked the Japanese code,
after which he knew what Tokyo was thinking,
Japan reported that "Roosevelt's decisions had created a situation so
horribly strained that we cannot endure it much longer."
Tojo immediately called another million reservists to the colors.
John Costello, a British historian, said that Roosevelt received a
positive war warning on Nov. 26, and possibly as early as Nov. 6th
that war would break out on Dee. 7th. He stated, "Roosevelt was not
only expecting war, but knew exactly when it would break out." Even
with the Japanese Fleet approaching Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt issued
explicit orders to the military: "Do not initiate hostilities against
Japanese under any circumstances!" It now seems that Roosevelt not
only expected the "Day of Infamy," but needed it to get the support of
the American people, to get them sufficiently aroused to fight a war.
He also wanted to be sure that Japan would be branded "the aggressor."
That night the radio announced that the "Japanese have marched from
Aparri (on the north coast of Luzon) to Tuguegarao and have activated
the airfield." Now we could expect more frequent bombing.
"Tokyo Rose" was urging us to surrender, or, "Experience a certain
death!" She continued: "All American aid is going to Europe! America
is giving Lend-lease aid to Britain and to Russia, but there is none
for the Philippines." She was right!
December 12, '41: Dr. Allen and I had a Filipino soldier's wife on the
operating table at 0800 hours ready for a sterilization operation. She
was thirty-four years old and had seventeen children. During her last
pregnancy, which she had delivered ten days before, she became greatly
swollen with edema (severe kidney disease). Another pregnancy would
probably kill her.
Bomb began to fall. I shouted, "Everybody downstairs-under the
hospital!" After the" All Clear," we returned to the operating room to
find our patient had retrieved her clothing and departed for safer
areas.
Again the wounded were coming in. This time we were ready
for them. The operating room was all set up and ready to go.
Radio from USAFFE: Capt. Eugene C Jacobs, M.C, promoted to Major.
Heard that a strong Japanese force had landed at Legaspi
accompanied by a large naval escort.
During the next ten days, while we treated our sick and wounded,
and buried our dead, nearly one-hundred various sized Japanese ships
were quietly assembling in the Lingayen Gulf, only twenty-five miles
from Baguio. We had neither airpower nor naval forces to deter them.
The Army Air Corps had been about
75% destroyed, and Admiral Hart would not risk his small Asiatic Fleet
in battle; he took off for Australia.
At dawn on the morning of Dec. 22, '41, some 60,000 veteran Nipponese
troops of Lt. Gen. Masahatu Homma's crack 14th Army from China swarmed
ashore between Vigan and Dagupun, twenty-five to fifty miles from
Baguio.
Maj. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright had four divisions (11th, 21st, 31st,
and 1 10th) of the Philippine Army on the beaches to prevent a
landing. When the cruisers and destroyers opened fire with their big
guns, there was great confusion on the beaches; many recent recruits
buried their rifles in the sand, and took off for the mountains. "This
was not their kind of war!"
Soon thousands of Japanese veterans, on bicycles, were pedaling south
on the highway bordering the South China Sea. Our Scouts picked off
hundreds of Japs as they rode by, but in a few hours were completely
out of ammunition. The Japs and their bicycles kept right on coming.
Sporadic wounded were appearing at the hospital. Major Joe Ganahl, a
well known polo player, was one of these. He had been fighting a
rear-guard action with his big" 155s"-coming down from Vigan. He said,
"I'm going to have to destroy my 155s as they are trapped." When we
got his wounds dressed, he took off in his jeep down the road, looking
like the "Spirit of'76."
We were beginning to note that the Japanese .25 caliber was not
causing near the tissue damage caused by the U.S. .30, .38 and .45
cal.
Frequently, when using the telephone, we could hear Japanese voices
using our lines. We could usually get them off by saying, "Moshi,
moshi! (hello) and sayonara (good-bye)."
We transferred our few remaining patients to civilian hospitals in
Baguio and made preparations to move out.
As the Japanese Imperial Army advanced up the mountains toward Baguio
on both roads, the Naguillian Trail, and the Kennon Road, our two
companies of the 43rd Philippine Scouts, outnumbered ten to one, were
becoming more and more desperate. We could hear the big explosions as
they blew bridges and oil tanks.
Finally, we were aware of rifle fire-it sounded like corn popping.
Realizing that Camp Hay would soon be overrun by Japanese troops, we
prepared and loaded our equipment on hospital vehicles. We were not
anxious to be the first military
unit in the Philippines to surrender. We were well informed as to the
Japanese cruelty and treachery in China; we didn't want any part of
it.